Norfolk State - Bethune-Cookman to play in prime time

Norfolk, Virginia -- Norfolk State didn't have much time to celebrate last weekend's 34-24 win over Hampton in the annual Battle of the Bay or the program's first FCS ranking (No. 25) since 2007.

The Spartans (6-1, 4-0 MEAC) meet visiting Bethune-Cookman (3-3, 1-2) on Thursday night at 7:30 in a game that will be televised by ESPNU. With the condensed week, NSU coach Pete Adrian said he began preparations Saturday night, shortly after the win over HU.

"It does make it very interesting, and for some extremely long hours," he said. "But that's what you've got to do." The Spartans haven't been ranked since a two-week stay in the poll four years ago.

"It's nice to see one of our conference teams get some national recognition, but it really doesn't mean a whole lot," Adrian said of the ranking. "You've got to just keep on playing and trying to win. If you keep winning, it will take care of itself."

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Spartans, 'Cats still rivals

Daytona Beach, Florida -- If you want to know what's become of the recent Norfolk State-Bethune-Cookman rivalry, listen to Wildcats second-year coach Brian Jenkins' appraisal of the Spartans' program. "Norfolk State has always been a good football team," Jenkins said. "They were a good football team last year, and they're a good football team this year."

And that's just it. Jenkins' history with Norfolk State goes back just two years. His Wildcats (3-3, 1-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) will try to hand the Spartans (6-1, 4-0) their first conference loss of the season Thursday night in Norfolk, Va., in a game nationally televised by ESPNU.

Norfolk State has not always been a good football team. When head coach Pete Adrian arrived in 2005, the Spartans were coming off two successive one-win seasons. Just two years later, Adrian's team finished 8-3 and came within one game (an overtime loss to eventual champ Delaware State) of winning its first MEAC title.

Adrian again has the Spartans in position to win the conference. So there's plenty of incentive for Norfolk State to be fired up Thursday night when it meets the high-scoring Wildcats. But just a couple of years ago, just the mention of the other school would fire up the teams.

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GAME TIME: 7:30 PM ET
TV: ESPNU
INTERNET: ESPN3